Loom for circular weaving



Jan. 30, 1962 G. v. COON ETAL LOOM FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 20, 1957 INVENTORS GERTRUDE ll COO/V BY HOWARD A. C 00 A 7' TORNE V Jan. 30, 1962 G. v. COON ETAL 3,018,801

LOOM FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING Filed June 20, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 GERTRJDNE'EIILTOESOON Ham/w A. coo/v Jan. 30, 1962 G. v. COON ETAL LOOM FOR CIRCULAR wmvmc Filed June 20, 1957 4 Sheets-sheet a BY HOVMRD A. COON A T TO/PNEY EN TORS aERmz/gt v. coo/v Jan. 30, 1962 G. v. COON ETAL LOOM FOR CIRCULAR WEAVING 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 Filed June 20, 1957 INVENTORS GERTRUDE V. COON BY HOWARD A. COON ATTO EYS Ut States te This invention relates to a loom. More particularly it relates to a loom adapted for circular weaving of fabric. Although the invention has particular application to handlooms, the principles thereof may be applied to power looms.

In weaving cloth on handlooms in accordance with the present day technique, only a straight piece of cloth can be woven. If an article such as a ladies skirt is to be made from the woven cloth, considerable cutting and waste of material are necessarily involved.

Heretofore it has been proposed to accomplish circular weaving by various expedients. By circular weaving is meant weaving cloth on a radius or curve such that both selvages are curved and one of them is longer than the other. To accomplish circular weaving, it is necessary that the length of warp threads increase from the one side of the cloth to the other. It has been proposed, for example, to employ cones on which the warp threads are wound before weaving and from which they unwind during weaving. As each cone is rotated the wide end of the cone will feed a greater length of warp thread than the narrow end of the cone. However, this method of solving the problem is not satisfactory. Among other reasons, it is unsatisfactory because, when it is desired to change the radius of curvature, it is necessary to employ different cones.

Heretofore to our knowledge there has not been provided a simple method of circular weaving on handlooms, which lends itself to amateur use, which does not require a great amount of time and skill in setting up a loom and making adjustments, and which is simple to pcrate.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements upon looms.

It is another object of the invention to provide improved means for circular weaving on looms.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a modification of conventional handlooms which is easily added to or built into a loom and which accomplishes circular weaving, such modification being simple in its design, easily installed and easily manipulated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a modification of conventional handlooms which permits circular weaving and which facilitates adjustments so that changes in curvature can be accomplished with ease.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

One form of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a loom embodying the improvements of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view in side elevation of the loom of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the loom of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the front end of the loom of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a cloth woven on a curvature by the loom of the invention.

FIGURES 6 and 7 are plan views of two cloths woven by the loom of the invention which illustrate how ad vantage can be taken of the characteristics of the loom to weave interesting and attractive patterns into the cloth.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the loom is generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and it comprises a frame 11 and certain more or less conventional elements which will be described first. Thus, the frame 11 has a loom up right 12 which carries the heddles 13, any suitable number of which may be employed. At the rear of the loom, which is shown at the right in FIGURE 1, a warp holder 14 is provided which is not conventional and whose construction and particular features will be described hereinafter. Also shown are a reed 15 and a beam 16 at the forward end of the loom, which is shown at the left in FIGURE 1. Also shown in FIGURE 2 is the shuttle shelf or race 17. Warp threads are shown at 18 in FIG- URES l and 2 and Weft threads at 19 in FIGURE 1.

As is well known, the warp threads 18 are threaded through the heddles 13 in the desired pattern and through the reed 15. By means of the treadles, one of which is shown at 20 in FIGURE 2, the heddles 13 are operated to separate certain of the warp threads 18 from others (an operation which is called shedding), to permit passage of the shuttle. The shuttle is, of course, thrown across the transverse dimension of the loom along the shelf 17, and the reed 15 is operated to move or beat each of the weft threads to its appointed position. The reed has a novel mounting which is best shown in FIG- URE 2. Thus, sides 21 extend downwardly to the bottom of the frame 11 and are carried by a pivot rod 22 which extends through slots 23 formed in the bottom of the frame. It will be apparent that, by this means, the reed 15 can be pivoted rearwardly and then forwardly, or to the left as viewed in FIGURE 2, to beat the weft threads to their appointed positions. It will also be apparent that by reason of the slotted mounting the reed can be rotated in the plane of the warp, from a position which is parallel to the ends of the frame (shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3) to a slanting position (shown in dot-dash lines in FIGURE 3). The purpose of such rotating movement will be explained hereinafter.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the novel warp holder 14 will now be described. It is supported on brackets 23a which are fixed to and extend rearwardly from the frame (to the right as viewed in FIGURES l, 2 and 3), and it comprises a plurality of warp reels 24 which are freely rotatable on a rod 25 which extends between and through and is carried by the brackets 23a. Each of the warp reels 24 is preferably about 3" wide, such narrow width having an advantage which will be pointed out hereinafter.

The brackets 23a serve an additional function, which is to carry or support lease rods 26 during the weaving operation for a purpose which is explained hereinafter.

At the rear of the loom, i.e., to the right as viewed in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, there is provided a warp holder clamp which is generally designated by the reference numeral 27 and which comprises an upper bar 28 and a lower bar 29. The two bars 28 and 29 are clamped together by any suitable means such as screws 30 and wing nuts 31, and their opposing surfaces are preferably covered with rubber or other suitable frictional material (not shown) which is adapted to make a firm contact with the warp threads. To provide a secure grip on the warp threads, the lower bar 29 is formed with a groove 32 which receives a tongue 33 formed on the upper bar 28.

To the left of the warp holder clamp 27 as viewed in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, there is provided a warp feed clamp which is generally designated by the reference numeral 4% The warp feed clamp 4b comprises an upper bar '41 and a lower bar 42, the opposing surfaces of which are preferably coated or covered with rubber or other suitable frictional material (not shown) which is adapted to form a good contact with the warp threads. The bars 41 and 42 are clamped together by suitable means such as screws 43 and wing nuts 43a.

As is best shown in FIGURE 3, horizontal frame mem bers or beams 44 are provided on opposite sides of the frame and are drilled at uniform intervals with holes 45. At each end the lower bar 42 or warp feed clamp 40 is drilled through to receive a bolt '47. The bolts 47 not only pass through the bar 42 but are also received in the holes 45.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES l, 2 and 4, at the forward end of the loom, which is shown in detail and in perspective in FIGURE 4, and which is shown at the left in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, a cloth clamp 55 is provided which includes a top bar 56, a bottom bar 57 and an intermediate bar 5614. Adjacent faces of the bars 56, 57 and 56a are preferably coated or covered with rubber or other suitable frictional material (not shown) which is adapted to form a good grip with the woven material. C clamps 58 are provided to clamp the bars 56, 57 and 56a together. A hinge support and clamping member 59 is hinged to the frame at each end of the cloth clamp 55, such hinge supports being drilled at 65- to receive bolts 61 (seeFIGURE 1). Brackets 62 are also provided which are hinged to the beam 16.

Also provided are horizontal brackets 65 which are fixed to the upright 12 and are formed with aligned holes 66 to receive the lease rods 26 (see FIGURE 3).

In setting up the loom, warp threads are wound on the reels 24 which are then mounted on the rod 25. The warp threads are, of course. selected in accordance with the desired warp pattern. Thus, if a uniform warp is desired the same thread will be wound on all of the reels 24, but if a particular warp pattern is desired, for example, a striped effect, the warp threads will be selected accordingly. If reels 3" wide are employed, and assuming a warp thread of conventional diameter and a conventional tightness of warp weaving, about 45 to 9% lengths of thread will be wound on each of the reels 24. That is to say, 45 to strands of warp thread will unwind simultaneously from each of the reels 24.

The wing nuts 31 and 43a are removed and the upper bars 28 and 41 of the warp holder clamp 27 and warp feed clamp '40, respectively, are removed, thereby exposing the respective lower bars 29 and 42. The warp threads are laid across the lower bars 29 and 42 and are threaded through the heddles 13 and the reed 15 in the usual manner. To facilitate this operation, the lease rods 26 will have been removed from the brackets 23, placed in the brackets 65 and employed in the usual manner to assist in threading the heddles 13 in accordance with the desired pattern.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, the hinge supports 59 are unbolted and rotated outwardly from the clamping position shown in FIGURE 1 and the cloth clamp 55 and brackets 62 are rotated to the horizontal position shown in FIGURE 4, in which they are supported by the hinge supports 59. The C clamps 58 are removed and the warp threads are passed over and then under the intermediate bar 56a.

The warp threads are now in place. The lease bars 26 are then moved rearwardly while maintained in their relative positions in relation to the warp threads and are inserted in holes formed in the rear brackets 23a. Nuts are applied to hold the lease rods in place. The top bars 28 and 41 are replaced on their respective bottom bars 29 and 42 and the respective clamping members (screws and nuts and 31, and screws and nuts 43 and 43a) are applied and tightened. The bars 56, 57 and 56a are assembled in the order indicated in FIGURE 4 and the C clamps 58 are applied. Hinge supports 59 are pivoted out to clear the cloth clamp 55, the latter and the brackets 62 are dropped and the cloth clamp is clamped in the vertical position shown in FIGURE 1 by bolts 61, which are removed from the cloth clamp 55 for the purpose.

Assuming that it is desired to weave a straight cloth, and referring more particularly to FIGURE 3, the warp feed clamp 41 is located parallel to the warp holder clamp 27, as shown in solid lines in FIGURE 3. Weaving proceeds in the usual manner by operation of the heddles 13, reed 15 and the various shuttles (not shown). When a suitable increment of cloth has been woven, the nuts 31 will be loosened, the warp feed clamp 40 will be advanced a suitable distance to the left as viewed in FiG-' URES l, 2 and 3 (e.g., four holes), thereby unwinding an equal length of warp threads 18 from each of the reels 24. Then the wing nuts 31 are tightened to hold this increment of warp thread. The warp feed 40 may be returned to its original position adjacent and parallel to the warp holder clamp 27. The wing nuts 43a may be tightened, or they may be left loose until the next increment of warp feed. The cloth holder clamp 55 is placed in the position shown in FIGURE 4, the C clamps 58 are loosened and a like amount of woven cloth is pulled between the intermediate bar 56:: and the upper and lower bars 56 and 57. The C clamps 58 are again tightened and the cloth clamp 55 is restored to and clamped in the vertical position shown in FIGURE 1. The loom is now in readiness for the next increment of weaving By repetition of this weaving-warp advancement cycle, a straight piece of cloth is woven.

Suppose that, instead of straight weaving, it is desired to weave on a curvature, e.g., to weave a cloth Whose outside radius is approximately four times its inside ra dius. Referring to FIGURE 5, a cloth is shown at 74 which is formed by warp threads 18 and weft threads 19. The right-hand selvage 71 (as viewed in FIGURE 5) has a radius (or a length of are) which is approximately four times the radius (or length of arc) of the left hand selvage 72. To weave a cloth of this character, the same operations would be performed as described above except that, when the warp feed clamp 40 is advanced it is also rotated in the plane of the warp. Thus, the warp feed clamp 48 would be moved four holes or spaces forwardly on the left-hand side of the loom (i.c., the left-hand as viewed by an operator sitting or standing at the lefthand end of the loom, as viewed in FIGURES l, 2 and 3), and it would be moved only one hole or space at the other side. It will be understood that the holes 45 in the beams 44 and/or the holes (not shown) in the lower bar 42 of warp feed clamp 40 will be sufficiently elongated to compensate for the fact that in weaving on a curvature, the warp feed clamp is rotated as well as advanced. Then the wing nuts 31 would be tightened to secure the warp threads and the warp feed 40 may be moved back to its original position parallel and adjacent to the warp holder clamp 27. It will be apparent that a precise 4-to-1 ratio is not achieved but an approximation is achieved.

It will be apparent that by continuing in this manner, the warp threads will be differentially fed and the cloth will have a circular or, more precisely, a helical shape. The selvage 71 will be approximately four times as long as the selvage 72.

It will be apparent that any ratio desired (within the design limits of the loom) can be achieved. Thus in the form shown in the drawings ratios of one to one up to approximately eight to one may be accomplished. It will also be apparent that both left-hand and right-hand weaving are possible, by using one side or the other of the loom for greater advancement of the warp feed clamp 40. Also, the curvature may be varied at any time during weaving a single piece of cloth. Thus, by operating the warp feed 40 left-handedly and then right-handedly in succession, a sinous, wavy or sinusoidal cloth will be weaved. Also a cloth having sections of low curvature and other sections of high curvature may be woven. Thus a ladys skirt may be woven having a low curvature in front and a high curvature in back,

or vice versa, to achieve a plain effect on one side and a ruffled, folded effect on the other side.

It will be apparent that, as the weft threads 18 are woven into cloth which is undergoing circular weaving, they wil radiate from the common center of the two selvages '71 and 72. This means that, unless extra weft threads are incorporated, the weft threads will be widely separated on the longer side of the cloth and the weave will be unduly loose on one side. This is overcome by incorporating additional weft threads on the longer side of the cloth. Thus, referring to FIGURE 5 it will be seen that certain of the weft threads extend across the entire width of the cloth; others extend about of the distance across (i.e., short of the selvage 72); others extend halfway across, etc. Thus, a uniform weave is accomplished.

This technique of weaving may be employed to achieve another important advantage, which is illustrated in FIG- URES 6 and 7 in which each piece of cloth is designated by the same reference numeral 70. A very attractive weft pattern, indicated as 75, is woven into the cloth by incorporating additional .weft threads in the manner described above.

It will, therefore, be apparent that a novel type of loom and weaving technique have been provided which have advantages such as simplicity, ease of adjustment to accomplish circular weaving of different ratios, etc. Among other points that may be mentioned are the following: The modification may be added to a conventional loom or it may be built into a loom. The warp reels 24 unwind the warp threads as needed, those on the inside or short side of each reel being supplied more slowly than those on the outside or long side. Hence the threads on one side (the inside or short side) will be somewhat slack but not enough to tangle. The lease rods 26 in the rearward positions shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 serve to keep the warp threads aligned and untangled. The pivotal mounting of the reed has the advantage that it allows the operator to rotate the reed into a precise registry with each weft thread as it is beaten into position. The cloth clamp 55 protects the woven cloth by reason of the fact that the bars 56, 56a and 57 prevent the C clamps 58 from contacting the cloth. Also the cloth clamp 55, acting in conjunction with the warp holder clamp 27, holds the warp threads taut. In conventional handweaving, the woven cloth is taken up on a beam. Due to the curved, spiral shape of the cloth woven on the loom of our invention, it would be difficult to take up the cloth on a conventional beam. That problem is nicely solved by the cloth clamp 55.

By reason of the warp holder 14, the warp holder clamp 27 and the cloth clamp 55, certain difficulties encountered heretofore, in straight weaving as well as circular weaving are diminished. In conventional weaving on handlooms difficulties are encountered in keeping all of the warp threads uniformly tight. Makesluft expedients have been employed such as the use of clothes pins to clamp individual warp threads and pull them taut. In our loom, each time an increment of warp threads is advanced, the warp threads lying between the warp holder clamp 27 and the cloth clamp 55 may be inspected. Before the wing nuts 31 on the holder clamp are tightened, and after the C clamps 58 have been tightened and the cloth clamp 55 has been clamped in vertical position, any loose warp threads may be pulled back through the loose warp holder clamp 27 until it is tightened. Then, upon tightening the wing nuts 31, the warp threads will be uniformly taut. This advantage, as will be apparent, applies to straight weaving as well as circular weaving. As is well known, loose warp threads impede movement of the shuttles and result in inferior weaving. These difficulties are greatly dimenished by our loom.

We claim:

1. In a loom for weaving cloth comprising a heddle assembly for manipulating warp threads and a reed for beating weft threads into position, the improvement which comprises a warp feed clamp for clamping warp threads and feeding them forwardly by increments, and means for adjusting said warp feed clamp to advance the warp threads differentially across the warp.

2. In a loom for weaving cloth comprising a heddle assembly for manipulating warp threads and a reed for beating weft threads into position, the improvement which comprises a warp feed clamp for clamping warp threads and feeding them forwardly by increments, said warp feed clamp being movable in the direction of the warp and being also diagonally adjustable in the plane of the warp.

3. In a loom for circular weaving of cloth comprising a heddle assembly for manipulating warp threads and a reed for beating weft threads into position, the improvement which comprises a differential warp feed comprising a warp holder clamp and a warp feed clamp, said warp feed clamp being located forwardly of the warp holder clamp to pull warp threads through the warp holder clamp, said warp feed clamp being movable forwardly to advance all of the warp threads and being diagonally adjustable in the plane of the warp to advance the warp threads differentially from one side of the warp to the other.

4. A loom of the character described comprising a frame having a forward end and a rearward end, and having a reed and a heddle assembly located between said ends; said loom also comprising a differential warp feed in the form of a warp holder clamp for clamping warp threads near the rearward end of the frame and a warp feed clamp located forwardly of said warp holder clamp but rearwardly of the heddle assembly, said warp feed clamp being capable of differential advancement on opposite sides of the frame.

5. A loom of the character described comprising a frame having a forward end and a readward end, and having a reed and a heddle assembly located between said ends; said loom also comprising a differential warp feed in the form of a warp holder clamp for clamping warp threads near the rearward end of the frame and a warp feed clamp located forwardly of said warp holder clamp but rearwardly of the heddle assembly, said warp feed clamp being capable of movement longitudinally of the loom and also being diagonally adjustable in a horizontal plane.

6. A loom of the character described comprising a frame having a forward end and a rearward end, and having a reed and a heddle assembly located between said ends; said loom also comprising a differential warp feed in the form of a warp holder clamp for clamping warp threads near the rearward end of the frame and a warp feed clamp located forwardly of said warp clamp but rearwardly of the heddle assembly, said warp feed clamp being capable of movement longitudinally of the loom and also being diagonally adjustable in a horizontal plane; said loom also comprising a cloth clamp at the forward end for clamping cloth and holding each increment of warp threads taut.

7. A warp feed device for differential feeding of warp threads to the weaving elements of a loom for the purpose of circular weaving, said warp feed device comprising a warp holder clamp and a warp feed clamp adapted to be mounted near the rearward end of the frame of a loom; said warp holder clamp being adapted, when loosened, to permit advancement of warp threads and, when tightened, to clamp and immobilize the warp threads; said warp feed clamp being capable of clamping and releasing the warp threads and of advancement in the direction of the warp threads but at an angle 0 in relation to the warp, the angle 0 being variable to permit differential advancement of the warp threads across the warp and to permit circular weaving on different radii.

8. A warp feed device for differential feeding of warp threads to the weaving elements of a loom for the purpose of circular weaving, said warp feed device comprising a warp holder clamp and a warp feed clamp adapted to be mounted near the rearward end of the frame of a loom; said warp holder clamp being adapted, when loosened, to permit advancement of warp threads and, when tightened, to clamp and immobilize the warp threads; said warp feed clamp being capable of clamping and releasing the warp threads and of advancement in the direction of the Warp threads but at an angle 6 in relation to the warp holder clamp, the angle 0 being variable to permit differential advancement of the warp threads across the warp and to permit circular weaving on different radii; said device also comprising a cloth clamp adapted to be mounted at the forward end of a loom being adapted, when loosened, of permitting advancement of woven cloth and, when tightened, of clamping the cloth and cooperating with the warp holder clamp to hold the warp taut.

9. A loom of the character described comprising a frame having a rearward end and a forward end, and having a heddle assembly intermediate said ends for shedding the warp threads and a reed forwardly of the heddle assembly to beat the weft threads into position; said loom comprising a differential warp feed assembly at the rearward end of the frame, said Warp feed assembly comprising a warp holder clamp and a warp feed clamp each capable of gripping and holding warp threads when tightened and of releasing warp threads when loosened, and means mounting the warp feed clamp for advancement on the frame in the direction of the warp at any of several angles in relation to the warp.

10. A loom of the character described comprising a frame having a rearward end and a forward end, and having a heddle assembly intermediate said ends for shedding the warp threads and a reed forwardly of the heddle assembly to beat the weft threads into position; said loom comprising a differential warp feed assembly at the rearward end of the frame, said warp feed assembly comprising a warp holder clamp and a warp feed clamp each capable of gripping and holding warp threads when tightened and of releasing warp threads when loosened, and means mounting the warp feed clamp for advancement on the frame in the direction of the warp and for rotation in the plane of the warp to any of several angles in relation to the warp.

11. A loom of the character described comprising a frame having a rearward end and a forward end, and having a heddle assembly intermediate said ends for shedding the warp threads and a reed forwardly of the heddle assembly to beat the weft threads into position; said loom comprising a differential Warp feed assembly at the rearward end of the frame, said warp feed assembly comprising a warp holder clamp and a warp feed clamp each capable of gripping and holding warp threads when tightened and of releasing warp threads when loosened, and means mounting the warp feed clamp for advancement on the frame in the direction of the warp and for diagonal adjustment in the plane of the warp; said loom also comprising a cloth clamp at the forward end of the frame adapted, when loosened, to permit advancement of woven cloth and, when tightened, to clamp the cloth in position and to hold the warp taut.

12. A loom for weaving cloth which comprises a frame having a rearward end and a forward end, a heddle assembly and a reed for manipulating warp threads and beating weft threads into position, respectively, warp holder means comprising a warp holder clamp mounted on the rearward end of the frame and a cloth clamp mounted on the forward end of the frame, each said clamp being capable of tightening and loosening and of clamping the warp threads and the woven cloth, respectively, when tightened and permitting advancement of warp threads by increments and removal of corresponding increments of woven cloth, respectively, when loosened, said loom also comprising a warp feed clamp located forwardly of the warp holder clamp and adapted to feed warp threads by increments when the warp holder clamp is loosened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 49,589 Hayes Aug. 22, 1865 383,842 Vorwerk May 29, 1888 504,883 Lyall Sept. 12, 1893 710,458 Horlacher Oct. 7, 1902 2,696,838 Purrington Dec. 14, 1954 2,811,175 Nadeau Oct. 29, 1957 2,817,366 Sakano Dec. 24, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 80,042 Norway Apr. 7, 1952 238,986 Switzerland Dec. 3, 1956 477,946 Germany Oct. 5, 1929 

